Patterns of Warmth, 4 - Feeling Good
by Irene Claire
Summary: As before, this is yet another continuation of this warm & fuzzy verse w an intentional growth towards a pre-relationship, slash vein. We're getting much closer here in fact. Bromance to romance stuff, getting down to some interesting business at Steve's whilst the kids are away ... two chapters now.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

 _It's a new day; it's a new dawn; it's a new life. _

_And yeah, having this Michael Buble song come on in the background ("Feeling Good")_

 _was just a wonderful addition for the muse to draw on. Wonderful song._

 _Birds flying high_

 _You know how I feel Sun in the sky_

 _You know how I feel Breeze driftin' on by_

 _You know how I feel_

 _It's a new dawn_

 _It's a new day_

 _It's a new life_

 _For me_

 _And I'm feeling good_

 **Notes:** _for Phoebe ... who knows precisely why THIS happened. ;-)_

 **H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Danny doesn't have the kids the day it happens, let alone for that upcoming weekend. Grace is spending the weekend with a girlfriend or two, doing _God knows what_ Danny doesn't even want to think about. He's in a foul mood about it though or to be fair, he's not in a mood about his daughter. It's about his son and the fact that his ex-wife begged him to have Charlie that weekend herself. For her _parents_ \- the boy's maternal grandparents really - who were flying in from England for a short jaunt. And, _with their grand-daughter off and away, at least let them see their grandson then._

Feeling taken advantage of but not knowing how to say no, Danny had agreed.

He's in a worse mood by day's end and bitching about everything by night fall and maybe that's why it happens.

Maybe it's Danny's foul mood which has resulted in a sarcastic mouthy temper that triggers it first. Or maybe it's Steve who refuses to be in such a mood in the first place. Understanding his partner's emotions and yet happily humming along in his usual, patient cadence, Steve seems oblivious and yet hardly is. Maybe he's hearing every word and unconsciously seeing every dramatic turn of a hand as a cue.

Does it matter though? It happens that very night when the house is quiet. When Danny's finally at least stopped his outward bitching but Steve is still merrily humming along to himself.

They do it together. In the kitchen. At the same time with Steve doing dishes at the sink.

That first kiss which really _means_ something.

Danny's puttering around behind him at the table before reaching over Steve's shoulder for the balled up, damp dish towel near the dish drain. He misjudges or maybe he doesn't. Hands collide over soapy water and then their bodies by the counter. They stumble not away, but into each other, and that _kiss_ happens.

In reality, it's not really initiated by one over the other. Like everything they share, it's of a silent, very mutual agreement.

It's deep, sensual and so long, that Danny is dizzy from lack of air and clutching at Steve's shoulders for balance. For once, Steve is breathless, panting as he rests his forehead against Danny's, eyes closed in bliss by one _not so simple_ kiss. His hands are wet from the sink, slick on Danny's arms.

They're both grinning like stupid teenagers when they look into each other's eyes again. The dish towel is on the floor now. Shared looks are all cocky ego as if each knew that kiss would always be that good. Daring the other to say that each owned it alone.

They inhale in tandem and say nothing. Pausing for the same amount of time before they're diving back in, testing and tasting those waters again. Reveling in the truth of things.

The living room is dark and that's where they wind up. Stretched out on the sofa not quite side-by-side. Nothing but a tangle of arms and legs. Now all they can see is the glitter of each others eyes. But that just makes everything more interesting and, in the dark, all there is, is _them,_ and the breathless sounds of their soft laughter.

Steve revels in that this - _now_ \- that spark of sadness in Danny's eyes is gone. What's there _now_ is a playful carefree look in those crystalline-blue eyes that Steve wants to see last forever.

Shirts come off while in the midst of being locked together, mid-kiss. Nipping and making obscene noises which nearly render them again into helpless bouts of laughter, there's a brief struggle. Something rips along the way. Still, those shirts come off. An impossible feat when neither will yield to haste and yet they manage, each helping the other and taking credit for it.

Once again, Steve can't get enough of Danny's mouth; his lips. And when Danny laughs under Steve's attentions, it only worsens his need to suck and bite until Danny's bound to be puffy and bruised come morning. But Steve's toes are curling for a different reason as Danny's hands trace along the planes of his abdomen, skirting the still sensitive edges of the transplant scar, the bumpy ridges of his ribs. Then down lower over the soft skin of his hips and around the curves to his lower back. His hands are warm and yet Danny is barely touching him. The light sensation of his roughened fingertips catch and tug every inch they linger over and Steve feels all of it. Each touch is sending electrified trills even lower where they pool and Steve winds up squirming not sure which way to turn.

When they stop to just breathe, their foreheads are touching and the peace between them is tangible. Steve closes his eyes, relishing how Danny's hands continue to rove greedily over his skin. To be fair, Steve's been just as eager and their bodies are over-heated, damp. One hand is caught in Danny's hair, the other, fascinated by the breadth of his chest. As they lay there entangled, Steve uses the pad of his thumb to knead a gentle pattern from clavicle to breastbone just shy of the scar left by that bullet wound. He doesn't need to see it to know where it is or remember what he'd been told to do to save his partner's life. He knows the pinkish scars by rote and he winds up sinking lower, gently twisting Danny's body under his to now kiss that same path.

Steve follows the a trail down, mouthing and kissing, lost for a moment in only what he feels and knows he'll find. Under him, it's Danny's turn to squirm, his breathing hitching, his body all but trapped.

He stops when his lips trace the outline of the largest mark and he breathes in, comforted by what he feels even if part of is brain remembers ... the blood. That's not there now though and Steve banishes that bad memory for this moment. He smiles to himself as he nuzzles a small circle before traversing the route in reverse. He ends where he began then; his forehead resting against Danny's, their breath co-mingling. This time though their eyes are open and they stare at each other in quiet agreement to this - to this which simply was always meant to have happened.

They smile and wind up laughing again, soft and low. Noses brush together and then lips, but more gently and with far less of a need, more of a certain... satisfaction.

Danny moves just enough for Steve to relax behind him so they can stay there, side by side, in the dark. The sarcasm and tempered anger are doused, but Steve is still humming though. Thrumming really in a certain smugness and Danny can feel it. He grins in the dark - just as complacent - and kisses Steve's fingers one by one. Legs entangled, he's comfortable tucked into Steve's chest where he seems to perfectly fit. Still silent in the dark, they nest closer together soaking in each other's warmth.

 _ **~ to be continued. ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Notes:** _In the process of continuing a certain longer story to what seems to be becoming the Patterns of Warmth arc, I tried to put this as an initial chapter. It failed in my head. I shared some conversations with Phoebe and in the end, I figured that I shouldn't be trying to force something in **before** what's already drafted as that longer arc. It would probably be okay but feels wrong._

 _However it does fit best here as a chapter 2 ... when Phoebe and I are ready to post the multi chapter story, it will hopefully make more sense and flow well._

 **H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Eyes closed and only half awake, Steve smiled as a series of kisses were mouthed over the sensitive part of his neck, then upwards, across his jawline. There was a slight pause and then Steve was automatically parting his lips to return them. His eyes were still closed as the kisses deepened and fingers traced a heated track over his abdomen. He inhaled everything about Danny as his knees were nudged apart so that Danny's leg could rest between them. Somewhere along the line, they'd moved from the living to the bedroom for another round of petting and making out. There was no other word for it: they were indeed acting like love-sick teenagers either nervous about what came next and simultaneously afraid they'd get caught because maybe - just maybe - they were playing with fire. Or, more likely, the two of them were going slow to savor what was to come — a type of drawn out foreplay and Steve's grinned deepened as he thumbed Danny's nipples. He literally felt the resulting electric vibration though the warmth of Danny's knee as it nudged upwards even more.

"Morning, Danno," Steve whispered as he breathed in again, a long deep haul of air refusing to open his eyes because he just wanted to stay right where he was for the foreseeable future. He gave out with a soft grunt of interest though when Danny's knee slid a bit further up his thigh. Foreplay was not over rated. Not one bit.

"Good morning," Danny murmured as he rubbed his nose over Steve's and skirted his hands over the small of Steve's back to squirrel in as close as he could get. "You slept a long time. I've been watching you sleep."

The bluntness of Danny's statement married with humor forced Steve's eyes to open even if he'd been enjoying the attention being heaped on him. Danny's hands were kneading lower and lower, his knee riding up higher. When Danny's fingers connected with a certain sensitive part of his skin, a chill went though Steve, clear down to his toes and he jolted at its intensity.

" _Huh_?" He questioned stupidly, blinking wildly and unable to focus since he and Danny was quite literally nose to nose. He fidgeted as that sense of foreplay became a more heated quest on Danny's part.

"Time," Danny said, his grin coy and playful as he ran his hands over Steve's chest now, returning Steve's earlier favor. Steve juddered under Danny's fingers. "You slept a long _time_."

"It's Saturday," Steve replied as he mimicked Danny's caresses, his hands spreading wide over Danny's lower back to pull him in tighter yet. Two could play this game and Steve was more than on board for the conquest. He grinned when Danny fidgeted in kind, his breath catching in his throat.

Two could _definitely_ play this game.

"There's time for everything today," Steve noted calmly, the challenge in his eyes certainly clear enough for Danny to see.

"True," Danny whispered as he went back to mouthing that soft section of Steve's neck that seemed to make his toes curl. "Everything, Steven." Evidently Danny had already figured that out, too. As lips were interspersed with teeth, Steve hissed a short sound, his feet digging into the linens. But that was nothing compared to what happened when Danny laughed low and softly, directly into his skin as he continued on that steady track. The wet reverberation echoed through his entire body and for almost no reason at all, what he was feeling suddenly scared the crap out of Steve. He didn't only want this to last, he _needed_ it to without having to worry about days of the week and if Danny might or might not need to go or even want to go.

He didn't have to go at all.

" _Danny_ ," Steve whispered back, closing his eyes again. He _needed_ Danny with him like he needed the air to breathe. With a flare of anxiety on the rise, Steve buried his face into Danny's neck, his arms wrapping around him. All the bullshit had to end and it simply needed saying. If they meant it - and Steve was sure that they both did - then, games aside, what he was going to suggest was the logical next step.

"Hey?" Danny questioned worriedly. "Babe? You okay?" It was easy enough for him to feel the sudden change and he was pulling back, trying to disentangle himself from Steve's arms. But he might as well been trying to get out of quick sand for all the good it did him.

"M'fine," Steve said, his voice raspy with emotion.

"Steven? Geez … _St-tteven_ ….," He stuttered helplessly, throwing his head back as Steve began to suck and lave a path across Danny's collar bone, one hand daring to sink lower still to palm him roughly through his sleep pants.

"Stay. Stay with me … move in," Steve murmured as he layered kisses across Danny's jawline until he found his mouth again. He kissed him then as if his very life depended upon it, leaving them both aching for air. And maybe his life did depend on this because he was cupping Danny's cheeks in his hands and sounding every bit as if he might be begging when Danny began to shake his head as if already saying no. Steve's heart hammered in his chest and he very nearly panicked at the confusion and doubt he saw in his partner's eyes.

"I mean it," Steve said sincerely. "Stay with me, Danno … here. Today. _Now_. You and Charlie … Grace. Hell, you're here all the time anyway .… this is practically your house too."

"I know you mean it," Danny replied breathlessly. "But Steve. It's a big step - sort of like zero to mach ten - and there's a lot to think about."

"The kids," Steve stated. He swallowed hard and visibly winced. There'd be a lot to consider when it came to Danny's kids and what Rachel, his ex, might think or try to do. The change in living arrangements could be considered extreme. It could easily affect visitation.

"Hey," Danny's voice interrupted his worried thoughts, easily guessing their track. "Yeah, the kids, but not _her_. She fucked up … a lot … the paternity suit I have to hold over her head would never - _ever_ \- permit her to do a damned thing. Charlie's well being is first and foremost and her lies nearly killed him … she wouldn't dare even try it, you got me?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," Steve whispered while nodding, his hopes on the rise because Danny's eyes had softened and then he was leaning in to press a kiss to Steve's lips.

"Plus, this … me and you … it's kinda - new …" Danny tried to say and Steve burst out laughing. He just had to.

" _New_?" Are you insane? Zero to mach ten my ass!" Steve asked, grinning when Danny rolled his eyes skywards and gestured to the bed and where they'd wound up.

"Hello! Yes! _New_ … you Neanderthal … putz!" Danny exclaimed. "This right here is _new_ … even for us …"

"Oh come on, Danno. This was just a timing thing and you know this - _us_ \- is right. You've said it yourself. So what about now, _huh_? What the hell are we waiting for?" Steve whispered, smiling broadly as Danny chuffed a soft laugh. "Just say it. Just say yes."

"So …. _maybe_. There's a load of stuff to think about; so how about a firm _maybe_ ," Danny affirmed when Steve's smile faltered just a bit. "Come on Steve, think about it. Day care; distance to Charlie's school … _Grace_ … they'd need their own space and …then my place. I just bought the house … and then there's _work_ to think about."

"Keep the house. Rent it out. The other stuff is all do-able, Danny," Steve interrupted him now, his tone eager. "I'll fix up the house … there's room to spare … we just got a clear out a room or two … spruce things up a bit."

"All right. But then, there is the question of us," Danny said, his expression now almost wicked and Steve cocked his head, still grinning like a loon and no longer worried. He waited for the multitude of examples of failure which Danny easily lobbed his way as if ticking them off in his head; which he probably was.

"We'll probably wind up fighting every day. _Arguing_. All. The. Time. For one, having my car in your driveway…"

"Our driveway …" Steve interrupted, laughing as Danny refused to be diverted.

"…. will not give you free rein to use it any old time you want. And, as for my frittatas? That fire extinguisher had better not come within 5 feet of the kitchen … let alone the stove …"

"Your frittatas suck, Danny. Admit it," Steve added.

"…. and Charlie's bound to leave his toys everywhere … and I do mean _everywhere_. It's not going to appeal to your military-like sense of neatness. Plus, you've yet to really experience the meltdowns that that boy is capable of."

"Oh, I think I do. Charlie's like you ... and I've seen you at your very worst. And despite even that, I still love you don't I?" Steve asked nonchalantly, pleased and chuffed with himself when that one comment flustered Danny and for just a second, he lost his train of thought.

"But …," Danny started up again, determined to finish his rebuttal. " _But_ ... most importantly: the absolute fact is that I do not take three-minute showers, babe, and neither do teenage girls."

"True," Steve nodded before he smacked a loud kiss to Danny's mouth. "That's all very, _very_ true. I bet you use more product than a teenage _girl_ too. I'm more worried about counter space actually."

"You're a bastard," Danny said as he glared at him in mock disbelief.

"But you love me," Steve said with a laugh as he bussed Danny's cheek noisily.

"God help me but I do," Danny mumbled as Steve continued to grin at him. He paused, sighed and then shook his head in defeat. "Don't say I didn't warn you off though."

That grin turned into a beaming smile. Danny would … he _would_ stay and Steve felt his heart soar. "Bring it on, buddy. I'm ready especially for our arguments. We've had lots of practice there. Besides …. _then_ … we'd have to find new ways to apologize to each other, wouldn't we. Just. Like. This."

It wasn't a question at all and Danny cleared his throat, his face blushing crimson as Steve's hand sank back down to once again palm him through his sleep pants. He closed his eyes, his forehead falling to rest against Steve's as the dare became an even bolder move when Danny didn't object.

"Yeah, Danno?" Steve murmured into his mouth, grinning as he began to nip at his lips. " _Right_?"

" _Yeah_ ," Danny virtually growled the sound out as Steve's other hand slowly went south and a very helpless, husky groan was drowned in a lingering kiss.

 _ **~ End. ~**_


End file.
